A Drink Too Far
by UnderTheDark
Summary: Mal needs doctorly attention... Simon gives him rather more than he was expecting...


"I try to fix one gorram door, and the damn ship tries to kill me... OW!"

Simon looked up at the captain in exasperation. "If you'd stop thrashing around it wouldn't hurt! And I haven't even started stitching you up yet... I'm just cleaning it out."

Mal glanced down at the 8-inch gash in his leg, and then frowned up at the doctor. "I don't mean to tell you your job or nothing, but aren't I usually numbed up with something right about now?"

The doctor grimaced as he picked up another clean piece of gauze. "Well, River decided that it would be a fun game to mix some of those pretty chemicals together... it cleaned off the top of the counter nicely, but that means that my supplies are pretty low." He picked up all of the bloody gauze and moved over to the trash dump in the wall. "The way this crew manages to embroil itself in dangerous situations I thought it wise to reserve our meager rations for an emergency."

Mal looked down at his leg again... it **needed** stitches. "Uh, doc... all manly toughness aside..."

Simon laughed. "I've got a little alternative medicine that should do the trick..." Reaching under the bed against the bulkhead, he pulled out a large brown bottle.

Mal looked at the label, and a rare smile bloomed across his face.

:  
:  
:

"Naked?"

Mal sprayed Ng Ka Pei out into the air (which was probably for the best, as the once full bottle was mostly empty). "And you weren't kicked out or arrested or nothin?"

Simon smiled wryly as he finished wrapping up the leg. "Well, I was naked, but the police kindly helped me find my wallet, so they wouldn't have to fill out all of that paper work... very reasonable prices, those officers."

Simon turned away to wash his hands, not realizing that he was humming **that song **and kind of shaking his butt in time to the music. Mal was watching the ceiling spin and sniggering a bit, but he heard the melody and turned in the doctor's direction. He stopped laughing real quick.

Simon was oblivious as he cleaned up his workspace, and sang under his breath in a warm tenor... something about bedsprings and howling at the moon.

Mal felt the drunken haze burn off in a sudden upswell of lust, a wave of heat so hard and unexpected he almost lost it right then and there. When the doctor bent over to pick up another piece of gauze, Mal groaned loudly and rolled onto his side, **away **from Simon... who heard the groan and turned quickly in alarm. "Does it hurt that badly? Maybe I can give you a local, let me see..."

"NO! No, nope, I'm good! Never felt better! Gotta go, doc!" Mal exclaimed loudly, and swung his legs off of the side of the operating table, attempting a quick getaway. Unfortunately, his leg and his sense of balance were not quite what he thought they were, and the bandaged leg buckled under his weight. Letting out a string of curses, Simon vaulted the table and grabbed Mal under the arms before he had a chance to fall too far. Shocked by his speed, Mal grabbed him back for stability, feeling the hard muscles underneath the stiff white shirt. _Where did those come from_, he thought muzzily, as his eyes moved slowly up Simon's body until they locked onto his shocked face. "Where did these muscles come from," he whispered, looking up past the fringe of hair into Simon's eyes.

Simon's breath caught in his throat at the tone in the captain's voice, the way his pupils were suddenly dilated with desire. He answered, equally softly, "They've always been there." He tried to lower Mal back to the table, but Mal wouldn't let go, and they both ended up on the floor, legs tangled together. "You're dribbling wine." He reached up a hand to wipe the corner of Mal's mouth, and then ran his fingertip lightly over the lips, rubbing as Mal's eyes darkened even more. He brushed the honey brown hair away from Mal's eyes. "You... are so..."

Mal closed his eyes against the frank admiration on Simon's face, and came back to his senses a bit. "Doctor, I reckon my..."

The chance slipping away, Simon slid his hand around and grasped the short hairs at the nape of Mal's neck. Mal's eyes popped open, and his hips jerked, just a little. As if to give him time to protest, Simon moved in slowly, and gently grazed their lips together. Mal almost went limp in his arms from the warmth of it, then he stretched up into the kiss, increasing the pull on his hair just a bit, and slipped his tongue up into that pretty mouth. Simon countered by pulling back a little, and then nipped at that tempting bottom lip, sucking on it as Mal's dizziness increased. _It's been so long... Actually... _"Deng yi miao, wait, stop..."

Simon froze, then pulled back completely, releasing Mal's hair. He didn't look up, afraid to see the rejection on Mal's face. Mal grabbed that stubborn chin and forced Simon to face him as he searched for words.

"Uh."

Mal blew out a breath forcefully and let him go, looking away and then back with a hint of... embarassment? "Thing is, I ain't never done this before... You know, um... not that I've **never** done this before, just not with a man... Not that I never wanted to, you understand... and not that the opportunity never came up, o' course, but things being the way they are out in the black..."

Simon's look of trepidation rapidly faded into comprehension, and then amusement as he watched the normally taciturn man trip over his tongue trying to explain without explaining (and without looking him in the eye). He grabbed his head with both hands this time, placing them on either side of Mal's face. Mal shut his mouth with an audible snap, and darted a nervous glance up in Simon's direction. Simon smiled, gently, but with a wicked sparkle in his eyes. "You don't have to explain anything to me, Captain." He ran one hand back through Mal's hair, and grinned a little wider as Mal closed his eyes again with a shudder. "Mal," he murmured against his ear, brushing lips against skin before pulling back.

Mal took a slow, deep breath and opened his eyes. "Simon?" His voice was low and unsteady. The doctor leaned in and captured his mouth again, kissed him until he couldn't see, couldn't think, couldn't breathe... all he felt was Simon, Simon's tongue sliding against his own, Simon's hands on his shoulders, Simon's legs... slipping away?

"You worry too much."

The confused captain blinked uncomprehendingly at the suddenly standing doctor, who reached down and pulled him to his feet. The room spun about him as he sagged back against the table, and he stared at the slightly blurry cause of his disorientation. Simon kissed him, searchingly, briefly, and then stepped back.

"If you need me, I'll be in my bunk."

Mal stared after the departing doctor in disbelief. Then he began a steady stream of curses, even as the smile spread across his face...


End file.
